1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for packaging and applying at least one cosmetic product. One favored, but not exclusive, application of the present invention is for the application of a mixture of cosmetic products to an area of the body such as the lips, eyelids, cheeks or nails. The expression “cosmetic product” is understood to mean a product such as defined in Council Directive 93/35/EEC of 14 Jun. 1993.
2. Discussion of Background
Many devices that make it possible to store various cosmetic products to be mixed extemporaneously (when use is desired) for the purpose of applying this mixture to an area of the body are listed in the prior art.
US Publication 2005/098527, U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,051, U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,703, U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,178, EP 0 644 129, GB 2 388 097, JP 08 198 344, FR 2 647 093, FR 2 826 641, FR 2 867 700 and FR 2 877 819 disclose examples of such devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,178 discloses a device comprising two flexible product containers attached to a common dispensing head. In order to do this, these containers both comprise an end equipped with a ridge able to be fixedly snap-fastened into two grooves made in the common dispensing head. These containers are surrounded by a first casing shell comprising two panels that form pushbuttons. Such pushbuttons make it possible to compress the containers together so as to cause the products contained in the two containers to be dispensed.
This first casing shell is mounted in a second casing shell that has openings for the pushbuttons. The pushbuttons can be moved relative to the second casing shell.
However, one drawback associated with this device is that it consists of numerous parts to be manufactured and assembled. Such a device therefore has very tight manufacturing tolerances especially for the design of the first and second casing shells in order to ensure that the pushbuttons are easily accessible from the outside.
In addition, with this device of the prior art, a dispensing head common to the two containers is provided. However, each time a product is dispensed, a residue of product may remain in the dispensing channel. Quite often, the product dries out and lines the dispensing channel on a long-term basis. Thus, if one container is replaced by a container that contains a different product, the product dispensed from this new container may be soiled by the old product coating the dispensing channel.
Furthermore, it is clear that such a device does not make it possible to easily replace an empty container with a new container.
EP 0 644 129 discloses a device that includes two product containers respectively equipped with a dispensing valve. This valve is actuated by means of a common dispensing head. The valves are arranged in fluid communication with dispensing channels provided in the dispensing head, and the channels open into a respective dispensing orifice. In such a device, pressure exerted on the dispensing head ensures simultaneous actuating of the dispensing valves and thus simultaneous dispensing of product.
However, one drawback associated with this device is that it does not provide for dispensing of one product from one container independently of the product contained in the other container. In addition, the dispensing of products simultaneously may result in a reciprocal contamination of the product dispensed which may not be desired in certain cases, especially when one product must be applied before the other. Specifically, the contact of one product with the other may lead to physicochemical modifications of one or both of the products. Furthermore, the amounts of product dispensed are substantially identical for each container.
FR 2 647 093 discloses two flexible-walled product containers, each having a respective dispensing channel. The dispensing channels are surmounted by a common dispensing head provided with a dispensing orifice. When manual pressure is exerted on these two containers, the products contained inside are both dispensed through their respective dispensing channel, and then mixed and expelled through the dispensing orifice.
However, one drawback associated with this device is that the positioning of the dispensing head on the two containers causes an inclination of the dispensing channels in the direction of the dispensing orifice. Thus, when a manual pressure exerted on one container is stopped, the product dispensed through one dispensing channel may easily flow back toward the other dispensing channel and thus contaminate the other container. Moreover, product dispensed from one container may remain stagnant in the common dispensing head and may thus contaminate a newly dispensed product.